Records show nearly one out of five top county officials has a relative on the county payroll. Some have three or four family members working for the county.

The family ties extend to the county council. Councilman John DeFazio says he is frequently approached by people looking for county jobs. "I don't have a magic wand to get people jobs. I wish I did," he said.

DeFazio's wife has a county job as a manager in the Department of Court Records. He points out that she was hired before he joined council.

Last January -- just 20 days after DeFazio's fellow councilman, Rich Fitzgerald, became the county executive -- Marsha DeFazio got a big promotion. Her salary soared by nearly 50 percent.

The promotion for DeFazio's wife has no connection to what her husband does, according to Fitzgerald. "I think Mrs. DeFazio has worked for the county many, many years," Fitzgerald said. "I guess people are always going to question how does this happen. That's government."

DeFazio says he never tried to get his wife promoted. "I do this job because I want to help. It has nothing to do with nepotism in my case," he said.

Records obtained by Channel 4 Action News show nepotism is widespread in Allegheny County. They all show top officials who have relatives on the county payroll: Husbands and wives, daughters and sons, brothers and sisters, nieces and nephews.

Out of 559 officials filing reports in 2012, there were 102 -- or 18 percent -- who reported having relatives who are county employees. That includes DeFazio and three of his council colleagues.

The recently divorced wife of Councilman James Ellenbogen works with Marsha DeFazio at the Court Records Department.

Councilman Michael Finnerty's brother is a lawyer in the county solicitor's office, and his nephew is a tipstaff for the courts.

Councilman Bill Robinson's daughter works in the county treasurer's office. Robinson is the chairman of the council's budget and finance committee.

Asked how he avoids any conflict when deciding the budget for the treasurer's office, Robinson said, "Well, I don't raise any questions about my daughter." He said he's ever been tempted to go to bat for her.

For some county employees, government is a family affair. The ethics reports show several employees at the sheriff's office -- and elsewhere -- have multiple relatives on the county payroll.

Sheriff Bill Mullen employs his son, Conor, as a deputy. The sheriff's brother-in-law is a tipstaff for the courts.

Chief Deputy Sheriff Joseph Rizzo reported having a sister, a cousin and two children working for the county. Since he filed that report, his daughter has left her job with the controller's office.

Having county employees with multiple relatives on the payroll "sends a message that, again, the county government is existing for the benefit of their employees, rather than the benefit of the taxpayers," said Eric Montarti, of the local government watchdog group The Allegheny Institute.

Sheriff Mullen said he actually disciplines his son more strictly than he does other employees.

County Controller Chelsa Wagner's father is a county employee. After hearing WTAE's findings, she said the county needs a stronger anti-nepotism policy: "There are many, many ways that our county needs to modernize its practices, and I think this is clearly one of them. It shouldn't even be a question."

WTAE's analysis of current employees did not include judges, because they do not file the county financial disclosures. Several judges, including President Judge Donna Jo McDaniel, have family members working on their personal staff.